Read this. Never mind that it’s a children’s book that will not take more than three minutes to read in its entirety, do so anyway. It is quite incredibly moving.
I read this and put it down, then realised to my surprise that I was struggling not to cry. I can’t remember the last time anything did that to me.
Also, it is worth mentioning that while I have always liked Quentin Blake’s illustrations, it is only now that I have realised that the man is a genius. The way his pictures so perfectly capture the essence of Rosen’s very personal text is nothing short of astonishing.
Was it definitely called “Sad Book”? I did a quick online search of all libraries in the Greater Kansas City area and none list it. There were four pages of books by Michael Rosen, almost all children’s, but no “Sad Book”.
Yep. If it’s any help, the ISBN of the US printing is 063625973. (See here).